The Top 10 Trash Talk Moments in Esports

by theScore StaffSep 4

Thumbnail image courtesy of ELEAGUE

Is trash talk in esports dying? Perhaps in some games, but definitely not in others. In any case, before we hold the funeral, let's celebrate the top 10 savagest, gut-bustingly funny instances of trash talk in esports.

It's always nice to see a little friendly competition between the plethora of non-endemic brands that have entered esports of late. And then there's this not-so-friendly bit of trash talk between Monster Gaming and Red Bull eSports. Like, literal trash talk.

As the culture demands, Korean trash talk tends to be very polite, primarily coming in the form of cutting backhanded compliments. However, in a trash talk video preceding the 2016 summer edition of the Telecom Wars, then-Kt Rolster midlaner Song "Fly" Yong-jun choose to take aim at Yoo "Ryu" Sang-wook instead of his actual opponent, Lee "Faker" Sanghyeok.

2016 was Korean Street Fighter player Lee "Infiltration" Seonwoo's year. Prior to SFV Season 2's nerfs to his main character Nash, Infiltration racked up an impressive string of tournament victories leading up to a 3-1 win over Ai "Fuudo" Keita at Evo 2016.

When asked what he did to adapt to his opponent, Infiltration famously replied "Download complete." As in, he read Fuudo so thoroughly that there was nothing he could do to surprise him.

7. Team Empire vs. Loda

When legendary Dota 2 player Jonathan "Loda" Berg took a hiatus from Alliance's starting roster in June, the team's once and future carry promised he would return. Team Empire's famously savage Twitter account couldn't help but take the wind out of his sails.

North America has always lagged behind Europe in Counter-Strike. However, in 2006, when Team 3D managed to thoroughly beat Ninjas in Pyjamas in the semifinals of the Championship Gaming Invitational, Griffin "shaGuar" Benger uttered the now iconic battlecry of NA CS:GO fans.

What up now Swedes? Wooh!

6. Walshy vs. Final Boss

This one goes back all the way to 2008 when Halo was a reputable esport and "making it" meant getting MLG onto G4 Tech TV. Back then, David "Walshy" Walsh got off one of the sickest burns in gaming history after knocking out his former team Final Boss at MLG Toronto.

"It was like taking candy from a baby ... but I think the baby would have put up a better fight."

Hell hath no fury like a Halo player scorned.

SumaiL vs. Vici Gaming

Evil Genius' Syed Sumail "SumaiL" Hassan's name is already synonymous with Storm Spirit, however the young prodigy wouldn't mind if the association became a little more literal.

In a post-match interview following his team's 3-0 sweep of Vici Gaming in the 2015 Dota 2 Asia Championships — a victory won off the back of his Storm Spirit — the then 15-year-old pro didn't even need to think when asked how he would feel if the hero was named after him.

"I'd be happy. I think I deserve it," he said.

3. KBrad vs. Wolfkrone

Best get comfortable, this one's a bit of a saga. For never was a story of more woe than this of Kenneth "KBrad" Bradley and Joshua "Wolfkrone" Philpot.

While the two have loathed each other for years, our story begins at Final Round 20 where KBrad let off a massive pop-off after a 2-0 win over Wolfkrone to the joy of his fans standing not a meter from the two players.

However, things really heated up at the ELEAGUE Street Fighter V Invitational where KBrad interrupted Wolfkrone's pre-match interview to confront him about the events of Final Round. ELEAGUE wound up stationing a security guard on stage to try to contain whichever player won that round of the rivalry.

2. Shaq vs. Thorin

CS:GO caster Duncan "Thorin" Shields has never been afraid to speak his mind. However, when the "esports historian" decided to take a potshot at Shaquille O'Neal's 1996 magnum opus Kazaam at TNT's Road to Vegas qualifier, well, the four-time NBA champ didn't take it lying down.

"That was pretty funny David Buckham," the ex-Laker and NRG owner said, mocking Thorin's British accent before taking a stab at esports itself.

"Since you guys think it's a sport, we'll challenge you guys in a couple of weeks. Any game you want, you come to TNT and I'll make you eat those words buddy."

1. Doublelift vs. The World

Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng's mouth is as dangerous as his Lucian and twice as vicious. Famous for his trash talk in the early days of the LCS and his absolute lack of humility, Doublelift was never shy about how he thinks he's the best AD carry in the West.